May 23, 2014
Musical.js
Here is musical.js, which is a small (less than 17K minified) javascript library that can translate from ABC notation into WebAudio, for playing simple tunes on any modern browser. It has no dependencies, and it can be used as a plain script, an AMD module, or as a node.js module. It also includes a simple synthesizer for creating your own instrument, including a basic electric piano sound.
The library is really simple to use. Basically, include the script musical.js, and then:
piano = new Instrument('piano');
piano.play('ccggaag2');
Then with any WebAudio browser, you will be Baahing with the Black Sheep, Twinkling with the Stars, or singing your ABCs with me. The notation used is called ABC Notation, and it is used for a lot of simple sheet music online.
Less-simple music can be played just as easily. Here are some short examples: Minuet, September, Sonata and Moonlight.
The library comes out of work from beefing up music support in Pencil Code. The WebAudio sequencer in that library has improved enough that it deserves to be a separate library.
You can also play with it as part of the turtle library on pencil code here: that example is a simple interactive piano keyboard where you can see the keys.
Have fun. Let me know if you encounter any problems, or if you have any ideas for improvements. Always looking for open-source contributions.